1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to flush mounted pulls, latches and locks of the type used with closures and other relatively movable components of industrial cabinets, tool carts, electrical equipment enclosures and the like. More particularly, the present invention relates to novel and improved pulls, latches and locks that utilize a highly versatile housing together with other interactive components of novel form to selectively provide graspable assist structures for effecting relative movement of various parts of cabinets, enclosures and the like, and/or to provide latches and locks with desired types of latching and locking actions.
2. Prior Art
Flush mounted pulls that are graspable by an operator to effect movement of a door, a drawer or other types of closures are known and take a wide variety of forms. A problem not addressed by prior proposals, however, is the need for a versatile housing that can be assembled with other components to selectively form a pull, a latch or a lock. A further problem not addressed by prior proposals is to provide a pull with a sufficiently versatile housing to enable it to be connected to a latch or lock as by mounting additional components on structure that is already in place on the housing. Still another problem that is not addressed by prior proposals is the need for a pull and housing assembly and a mounting bracket, all of which can be used together with a variety of latch and lock hardware to provide the pull and housing assembly with desired types of latching and lock capabilities.
Flush mounted latches and locks including a body, a latch bolt movably carried on the body, and an operating handle that is nested by the body are well known. Normally the handle is in a flush or nested position when the bolt is in a latched position; and, unlatching movement of the bolt is effected by moving the handle to an operating position. Latches and locks of this type are well suited for use on industrial cabinets, tool carts, electrical equipment enclosures and the like.
Flush-mounted latches and locks having pan-shaped housings that nest paddle-shaped operating handles, and that have spring-projected slide bolts are disclosed in such patents as U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,335,595, 4,321,812, 4,320,642, 4,312,205, 4,312,204, 4,312,203, 4,312,202, 4,309,884, 4,231,597, 4,138,869, 3,707,862, 3,668,907, 3,449,005, 3,389,932, 3,357,734, 3,209,564, 3,209,563, 3,055,204, 2,987,908, 2,900,204 and 2,642,300, all of which are assigned to The Eastern Company, a corporation of Connecticut.
Flush mounted latches and locks having latch bolts of other than the spring-projected, slide-mounted type are disclosed in such patents as U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,413,849, 4,320,642, 4,312,203, 4,134,281, 3,857,594, 3,338,610, 3,044,814, 3,044,287 and 2,735,706, which are assigned to The Eastern Company.
A cabinet latch having a housing that is usable with a variety of pivotally mounted latch bolts, and with a variety of latching mechanisms is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,177,656, also assigned to the Eastern Company.
Clamping type cabinet latches that have a capability to clamp shut a cabinet door and/or to compress a cabinet door into firm engagement with a resilient door gasket or other seal structure are known. Among the patents that disclose latches that have clamping capabilities are U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,492,394, 4,413,849 and 4,177,656, assigned to The Eastern Company.
3. The Cross-Referenced Utility and Design Cases
The present invention, and the inventions described in the several referenced Utility and Design Cases, represent the work products of a long term and continuing development program.
The several functional features that form the subjects matter of the referenced Utility Cases, and the several appearance features that form the subjects matter of the referenced Design Cases, were developed by various co-workers, as is reflected in the listing of inventors in these cases. Many of the functional and appearance features that are claimed in separate ones of the referenced Utility and Design Cases were developed substantially concurrently.
If an invention feature that is disclosed in one of the referenced Utility and Design Cases constitutes a species of a development concept that is utilized in another of these related cases, it will be understood that care has been taken to present a generic claim in the case that describes the earliest development of a species that will support the generic claim. In this manner, a careful effort has been made to establish clear lines of demarcation among the claimed subjects matter of this and the several referenced Utility and Design Cases. No two of these cases include claims of identical scope.
4. The Referenced Parent Cases
The referenced Parent Cases disclose a simple means for retaining a key cylinder assembly in a lock housing. The lock housing has a generally cylindrical opening formed therethrough that extends along an axis for mounting a key cylinder assembly for rotation about the axis. Axially extending grooves are formed in an internal wall that defines the cylindrical opening. One of the grooves (referred to as an "installation groove") extends rearwardly and opens through such rear wall portions of the housing as surround the cylindrical opening. The grooves serve the function of cooperating with key operated tumblers of the key cylinder assembly that project radially from opposed sides of the key cylinder assembly to selectively permit and prevent rotation of the key cylinder assembly relative to the housing. The installation groove serves the function of permitting an offset projection that is carried on the back of the key cylinder assembly to be inserted completely through the cylindrical opening of the housing as the key cylinder assembly is installed in the cylindrical opening. Once the key cylinder assembly is installed, it is rotated to position the offset projection out of alignment with the installation groove so that the offset projection extends in overlying relationship with such rear wall portions of the housing as surround the cylindrical opening in which the key cylinder assembly is installed. By this arrangement, so long as the key cylinder is prevented from rotating relative to the housing to a position where the offset projection aligns with the installation groove, the offset projection serves to retain the key cylinder assembly in place on the housing.
As will be explained in greater detail, the type of housing features that are described above, and that also are disclosed in the referenced Parent Cases, are utilized in the preferred practice of the present invention. For this reason, the present application is being filed as a continuation-in-part case, with the benefits of the filing dates of the referenced Parent Cases being claimed.